During this crisis, it make sense for publishers to release scheduled games digitally and postpone physical copies till later.

[MRORANGE]

The TLOU2 delay got me thinking that this the prime time for digital to become the standard of game ownership. While I understand that many people in this forum are die hard physical owners. There no getting around the fact that releasing games digitally right now is the best and safest option to consumers and corporations.

Heck I think that if the the TLOU2 released digitally it would still sell several million at least and won't be affected that much from lack of retail sales. Considering that Playstations main revenue source is now more or less coming from digital distribution it makes sense for PlayStation to capitalise on this even more. The big 3 are trying to push digital and wean off the reliance of retailers.

To out things into context, here are Sony's PlayStation revenues from the last two years. digital downloads Is nearly half their business now:

 

[mindsale]

Doesn't that doubly fuck over brick and mortars, to whom publishers owe a good deal of revenue?

 

[Deleted member 2791]

They aren't going to cut their sales that much.

 

[Plum]

If Sony thought that doing so would be a viable strategy they would do it, but because they aren't they clearly don't think it is. I hate to be blunt but they very, very likely know a lot more than you (and most of us) when it comes to marketing, financials, logistics, etc. Saying that it "makes sense," for any company to do something they're not doing is, to me, as ignorant a statement as saying it "makes sense," for a developer to just make their game 60fps; both assume that the professionals don't know what they're doing.

I can see a digital-only or digital-first strategy working for some minor titles (ports, remasters, indie-level titles) but for any major project the thought of completely forgoing physical sales, even if only temporary, is one that I can imagine being very difficult to make.

 

[Dio]

Doesn't that doubly fuck over brick and mortars, to whom publishers owe a good deal of revenue?

Click to shrink...

normally, yes. during a pandemic, id imagine it be understandable to not care. obviously, this would depend on the degree of lockdown in certain countries.
that said, i get why pubs wont do this. would set a bad precedent.

 

[ASleepingMonkey]

Even if it is half, you're still losing the other half your sales.

A game that sells 2 million will now only sell 1 million

 

[Unaha-Closp]

Then the retailers say we won't stock your new console. It's a partnership so you don't f them over if you can help it. I may be wrong of course as people often do things they should not.

 

[Dio]

Even if it is half, you're still losing the other half your sales.

A game that sells 2 million will now only sell 1 million

Click to shrink...

exactly. it's sucks that TLOU2 is delayed, but it makes absolute sense to do it. not worth the risk of selling vastly less at all.

 

[eddiemunstr]

I'd be interested in seeing what the digital portion of that chart is if you split digital software sales and dlc from each other. I have to imagine dlc sales make up a fair chunk of that portion and those are coming from physical owners as well.

 

[Venatio]

Wow, we've come a long way from the launch of Xbox One in 2013 to see a thread like this.

 

[JuanLatino]

that would be massive loss of sales

lets say The Last of Us sells 5 mio copies in its first weeks - Sony would be loosing 2-3 mio sales. And who knows how many of those physical consumers will still wanna buy the game months later (you would also need to reduce the price )

yes a lot of people will/would probably switch to digital, but the loss of sales would still be too big imo

 

[Oldmario]

To out things into context, here are Sony's PlayStation revenues from the last two years. digital downloads Is nearly half their business now:

Click to shrink...

these say digital software & add-ons, a lot of people buy those in game money things and a lot of dlc clothing for their games too so it's probably not a fair comparison to claim that digital software sales are half of the business when it's more than likely a good chunk of it is going to just add-ons

 

[--R]

You're still pushing a lot of demand on the servers and the general infrastructure that could be avoided. Speeds are already getting throttled in every platform, releasing much awaited games only in digital would put a pretty big toll on platforms.

 

[SoulsHunt]

No. Just wait, like everyone else.

 

[Loudninja]

Retail is still a major part of gaming they still sell the consoles, accessories and other things its really not a good idea.

Not only will they lose sells they will damage business relationships.

 

[LegendofLex]

Ah, yes, let's hit the accelerator on the retailpocalypse in the middle of a pandemic when people are already at super high risk of losing their jobs

 

[Era Uma Vez]

People keep creating threads out of their heart, instead of their head.

 

[ghostcrew]

I work in an adjacent business (not gaming but I deal with releasing media products - both digital and physical) and we've delayed a ton of releases. It's not all about literally getting the product in consumers hands. That's obviously possible through digital. There are other considerations around the current extraordinary circumstances. How does having 100% of your massive team working from home impact the next few months and the weeks/months following the launch of the product? How does the current climate fuck up your press rollout? Your advertising/media plan? Do consumers even have disposable income at the moment to be buying your game in the numbers you expected? Yes, your physical presence. Getting games in stores/supermarkets etc is about a lot more than just selling those copies. It's about mindshare. About having your product on shelves and the posters in windows being seen by thousands of people walking in and out of stores. You get one shot at a release and release week is absolutely huge in terms of your sales. I can completely understand why Sony would want to delay their biggest software launch of the year - maybe of the generation - to a time when it all just makes more sense. You can't simplify it by saying 'well they can just deliver it digitally'. They could but... is that what the team imagined when they spend x amount of years of their lives planning this release? Is that what Sony want when they've spent how ever many millions of dollars on making the thing and marketing it?

 

[faceless]

they absolutely should.

B&M can burn for all i care.

they won't because they want all the money.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Both should release at the same time. So no.

 

[Bundy]

Clearly not. A huge part of sales these days is still physical. So no, it makes no sense to mess up the launch of one of the biggest AAA games this gen.
Both should and need to released at the same time.

 

[poklane]

Publishers might still wanna keep the various retailers on friendly terms, especially when you're also a platform holder releasing a next-gen console soon.
The chart in the OP is also an extremely bad comparison considering the digital share includes all digital revenue, not just game sales.

 

[Future Gazer]

I wish. This pandemic perfectly highlights just how archaic physical media is.

 

[Anth0ny]

probably a shitty move to screw over stores like that as we are on the verge of a new console generation

 

[DeoGame]

Absolutely do digital first. It's a pandemic. Factories are needed to do more than produce discs right now. It's not really screwing over bricks and mortar when you can't leave your house, delivery people are put at further risk and people need entertainment. If a game's done, it's done. Also bandwidth caps are being removed.

Last gen a disc ment something. This gen, it's just an out of date software loader you can trade in, and I say this as someone who prefers physical. If my choice is wait 6 months for something like TLOU2 or Halo or whatever so I can buy it on a disc, or download and play when I have jackshit to do, need escapism and am not screwed over by my ISP (although I have ulimited to begin with), I am absolutely picking the latter.

Support your local stores, don't let this become the default, but shit has hit the fan, and desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[Deleted member 55311]

Wow, we've come a long way from the launch of Xbox One in 2013 to see a thread like this.

Click to shrink...

Not really. This isn't the same thing.

To OP: Stores would rightfully be angry no matter what is going on and people like me aren't going to wait two or three months more but still pay full price. That potential launch purchase now becomes a "wait for a sale."

 

[Rosebud]

I wish. This pandemic perfectly highlights just how archaic physical media is.

Click to shrink...

Yep. Imagine if every album or movie was attached to their physical release.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I work in an adjacent business (not gaming but I deal with releasing media products - both digital and physical) and we've delayed a ton of releases. It's not all about literally getting the product in consumers hands. That's obviously possible through digital. There are other considerations around the current extraordinary circumstances. How does having 100% of your massive team working from home impact the next few months and the weeks/months following the launch of the product? How does the current climate fuck up your press rollout? Your advertising/media plan? Do consumers even have disposable income at the moment to be buying your game in the numbers you expected? Yes, your physical presence. Getting games in stores/supermarkets etc is about a lot more than just selling those copies. It's about mindshare. About having your product on shelves and the posters in windows being seen by thousands of people walking in and out of stores. You get one shot at a release and release week is absolutely huge in terms of your sales. I can completely understand why Sony would want to delay their biggest software launch of the year - maybe of the generation - to a time when it all just makes more sense. You can't simplify it by saying 'well they can just deliver it digitally'. They could but... is that what the team imagined when they spend x amount of years of their lives planning this release? Is that what Sony want when they've spent how ever many millions of dollars on making the thing and marketing it?

Click to shrink...

indeed....people never realize the implications of things unless they've been in the industry. There are always more moving parts than people think. Good post.

 

[Evolved1]

I'm 100% digital and... absolutely not. You're screwing over so many people, and losing sales. Bad for the consumer and bad business.

 

[IDreamOfHime]

I'd love to see a breakdown of that green chunk to check just how much of it is Fortnight battlepasses, FIFA packs, and GTA shark cards

 

[ryseing]

Alright, so you've screwed over your retail partners by doing this. Where the hell are you selling your next-gen box? Direct to consumer via your website? Good luck.

 

[Eeyore]

Wow, we've come a long way from the launch of Xbox One in 2013 to see a thread like this.

Click to shrink...

There are still people who think that Microsoft's strategy back then was going to benefit consumers.

That being said, digital games don't require a 24 hour check in.

 

[Faenix1]

I don't think there's enough internet infrastructure to handle basically EVERYONE trying to download 100 gigs.

I mean, Netflix apparently had to reduce quality. Sony themselves already apparently made downloads slower.

 

[Rosebud]

Alright, so you've screwed over your retail partners by doing this. Where the hell are you selling your next-gen box?

Click to shrink...

Most people don't just use Amazon?

 

[Venatio]

Not really. This isn't the same thing.

To OP: Stores would rightfully be angry no matter what is going on and people like me aren't going to wait two or three months more but still pay full price. That potential launch purchase now becomes a "wait for a sale."

Click to shrink...

Well, duh. But the OP is calling for Sony, who marketed their PS4 to be the antithesis of Microsoft's strategy, to release one of their biggest games solely digitally. I mean, you gotta see the irony, right?

FWIW, I think it's a bad idea. It should be released digitally and physically simultaneously.

 

[Dio]

Most people don't just use Amazon?

Click to shrink...

oh, of course, lets give more power to amazon, of course.

 

[Betty]

Retailers would hate this though, and you don't want them angry before releasing your new next gen console.

And while digital is super popular, a lot of people still prefer physical.

For the few that pre-ordered super expensive editions it's also pretty unfair that they're put at the back of the line.

 

[Nzyme32]

On PC only games, sure, as games are predominantly digitally distributed anyway, and the audience are generally accustomed and equipped for it. There a significant problems though even there, eg for territories that usually purchase funds at retail stores anyway.

On the consoles it's a much more significant issue with so many keen for retail releases. There are partnerships for this stuff already, logistical issues to consider, marketing partners etc etc. It wouldn't be reasonable to split audiences up or actively prevent access. Revenue would also take a sizeable hit if they were to do this

Once this is all over, you can't just release all the games either, as everyone will want to compete tactically where possible.

 

[ThatNerdGUI]

I've been all digital for many years with all my devices but I still think that this is a dumb idea.

 

[Macca]

Like Naughty Dog said in their statement they want everybody being able to play this at the same time, both worldwide and physical/digital... I mean a lot of terrorities won't be able to get this if it's just a digital release.

 

[Deleted member 19996]

Doesn't that doubly fuck over brick and mortars, to whom publishers owe a good deal of revenue?

Click to shrink...

And who is going shopping during these times? Not to mention the sheer amount of places closed.

 

[Rosebud]

Well, duh. But the OP is calling for Sony, who marketed their PS4 to be the antithesis of Microsoft's strategy, to release one of their biggest games solely digitally. I mean, you gotta see the irony, right?

FWIW, I think it's a bad idea. It should be released digitally and physically simultaneously.

Click to shrink...

He's not asking always online TLOU II lol

 

[dom]

Physical still sells more copies, especially day 1.

 

[MJForum Poster]

If this had happened next year, this may have been possible. But there is absolutely no way they are going to harm their relationships with brick and mortar with a new console launch only months away

 

[Plum]

they absolutely should.

B&M can burn for all i care.

they won't because they want all the money.

Click to shrink...

B&M 'burning' would remove thousands of jobs from the economy.

As for Sony "wanting all of the money." I know Jim Sterling likes to say that a lot but there's literally nothing wrong with a company delaying a product to better ensure its success during completely unprecedented times. Nobody is being actually hurt here unless you're one to believe disappointment is a genuine problem that needs to be resolved.

I work in an adjacent business (not gaming but I deal with releasing media products - both digital and physical) and we've delayed a ton of releases. It's not all about literally getting the product in consumers hands. That's obviously possible through digital. There are other considerations around the current extraordinary circumstances. How does having 100% of your massive team working from home impact the next few months and the weeks/months following the launch of the product? How does the current climate fuck up your press rollout? Your advertising/media plan? Do consumers even have disposable income at the moment to be buying your game in the numbers you expected? Yes, your physical presence. Getting games in stores/supermarkets etc is about a lot more than just selling those copies. It's about mindshare. About having your product on shelves and the posters in windows being seen by thousands of people walking in and out of stores. You get one shot at a release and release week is absolutely huge in terms of your sales. I can completely understand why Sony would want to delay their biggest software launch of the year - maybe of the generation - to a time when it all just makes more sense. You can't simplify it by saying 'well they can just deliver it digitally'. They could but... is that what the team imagined when they spend x amount of years of their lives planning this release? Is that what Sony want when they've spent how ever many millions of dollars on making the thing and marketing it?

Click to shrink...

Yeah, this is a good summary (albeit lacking paragraphs :P) of the numerous issues that "just going digital" brings up.

As someone who's main areas of study is Business and Marketing it can definitely be frustrating seeing people talk as if those areas are tertiary to the basic product being made. Explanations like these definitely help.

 

[Continental 0p]

While I do agree for most publishers, PlayStation published games are meant to move consoles instead of just profiting of their own sales. Sony postponed so it could sell more consoles not more of the games

 

[giancarlo123x]

Yes I'd like my games now but from a business perspective it's a dumb idea.

 

[ryseing]

Most people don't just use Amazon?

Click to shrink...

Amazon is included in retail partners, and doing what the OP suggests would be screwing them over as well.

 

[scrapple]

I made a WHOLE THREAD about this for Animal Crossing and got destroyed. I triggered many... you have been warned.

 

[Champion]

No. Just wait, like everyone else.

Click to shrink...

For how long?
This doesn't seem like it's ending any time soon.